Weft-carrying mechanism for weaving looms having a continuous weftsupply mechanism



y 2, 1968 v. SCHERILLO 3,390,707

WEFTCARRYING MECHANISM FOR WEAVING LOOMS HAVING A CONTINUOUS WEFT-SUPPLY MECHANISM Filed May 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY y 1968 v. SCH ERILLO 3,390,707

WEFT-CARRYING MECHANISM FOR WEAVING LOOMS HAVING A CONTINUOUS WEFT-SUPPLY MECHANISM Filed May 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. KrVW/a filer-1% United States Patent ()1 fice Patented July 2, 1968 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A weft inserting device for a shuttlel-ess loom includes two weft carriers, which advance from opposite sides of the loom to the middle of its warp shed. One carrier has a hollow, generally rectangular forward end having a pair of slots which separate its upper wall from its sidewalls. The sidewalls, which taper to a point at their forward ends, have upper edges which curve downwardly and rearwardly to guide a weft yarn beneath the forward end of the upper wall, and beneath a pair of movable clamping members in said one carrier to clamp the yarn in position to be picked up by the other carrier, when the carriers meet in the shed.

This invention relates to a device for carrying the weft into a weaving loom having a continuous weft-supply mechanism.

The weft thread, coming from fixed bobbins or spools placed outside the fabric, is brought into the shed by two weft-carrying needles, driven by two flexible belts to which they are affixed and which are moved contrarywise with respect to one another, one needle being intended to bring the weft up to the center of the shed, whereas the other needle disengages the Weft from the first needle and carries it out of the shed.

The present invention relates precisely to the weftcarrying needles which will be called: the guiding weftcarrier, the one which takes the weft from the fixed bobbin and carries the weft from, for example, the left to the center of the fabric, and the traction weft carrier, the one which takes the weft from the guiding weft-carrier at the center of the fabric to bring said weft to the right end.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are merely exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, in that the adoption of constructional techniques or equivalent members different from those suggested herein lies within the scope of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURES 1 and 2, are two views at right angles to one another illustrating the guiding weft carrier made according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary vertical and horizontal slide for disengaging the weft thread from the traction weft-carrier.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a detail of the gripping hook.

The guiding weft-carrier 1 is formed by a rigid body in the inner cavity whereof the gripping and holding members for the weft thread and the control device are housed.

The front portion of the weft-carrying mechanism 1 is generally rectangular in cross section, and is shaped so that the forward ends of its two vertical walls 2 and 3 which are connected at their lower edges by a horizontal bottom wall 42, have pointed configurations intended to facilitate the penetration of the weft-carrier into the shed. For this reason, the forward end of vertical wall 2 of the Weft-carrier, which is positioned towards the reed, forms the more advanced penetration point, whereas the other vertical wall 3 has its penetration point disposed in a position which is behind wall 2.

Thus the weft-carrier, in its movement of penetration within the warp, which is started when the shed is still only partially open, by means of the point on wall 2 lifts the warp threads so that they are not torn by said weftcarrier.

The particular curvatures of the two walls 2 and 3 aer such that their upper edges are slightly higher than the tongue or spur 4 which is formed between walls 2 and 3 by the forward end of the upper horizontal wall of the weft-carrier. Thus, the warp threads are kept lifted with respect to the point of the spur 4 and are not torn thereby.

The walls 2 and 3 are then curved downwardly rearwardly of the spur 4, and form the lower boundary of the slots 5 and 6, which separates walls 3 and 2, respectively, from spur 4.

The slots 5 and 6 guide the weft under the gripping members when the weft is brought by a special selector before the weft-carrier as shown FIG. 7.

Adjacent rear ends of the two slots 5 and 6 the walls 2 and 3 are broadened as at 46 and 47 towards the outer faces of the walls as shown in FIG. 2, so as to afford a rounded off profile incapable of tearing the weft thread when the latter is inserted beneath the gripping feet, reaching the slots.

The gripping members are formed by the two, spaced feet 7-8, which are pivoted independently of one another on pin 11, and are arranged adjacent the two inner sides of the two vertical walls to rest at their forward ends on two bases 9-10 formed on the insides of said two vertical walls 2 and 3, respectively.

The forward end of each of the two gripping feet is curved as at 48 (FIG. 3) and extends above the slots 5 and 6 so as to allow the weft, upon coming into the slots, to be inserted under the feet without being hooked by the points thereof. Furthermore, the curved end of the left foot, for example, which is adjacent to the reed, is longer than the right-hand so that the length of the gripping plane is greater on the right side, and each foot 7 and 8 has considerably beveled lower edges down to the plane of intersection with the gripping plane so as to permit an easier insertion of the weft under the foot without cutting the weft and weakening it due to the contact with a sharp edge.

The two feet 7 and 3 are fulcrumed on the pin 11, which is placed in a position above the clamping surface of the feet, so as to be no hindrance to the introduction, between the two gripping feet, of the hook of the traction pincers thus leaving the pincers introduction .gap wholly free.

Said feet are kept pressed in gripping position by two leaf springs 12 and 13 projecting from the rear portion of the feet, whose pressure can be adjusted by two screws 14 incorporated in the two rear ends of the feet which, abut the sloping portions of the springs, thus permitting the reactive force of the springs to be increased or decreased. The two springs are prevented from accidental loosening by the two safety abutments 15 which have locking engagement with screws 14.

Both feet are controlled in their pivotal motion by a single ear 16 having a curved outline and fulcrumed to pin 17.

Said ear rests with its two bosses 18 on the two rear ends of the feet 7 and 8 and is urged upwardly at its rear portion by a leaf spring 38.

The upper portion of the rear end of ear 16 projects, upwardly through the slot 19 of the upper horizontal wall of weft-carrier 1.

At the start of its movement into the shed, the weftcarrier is passed beneath a suitable adjustable slide 20 (FIG. 6) arranged in the direction of the path of the weft-carrier and adjusted so as slightly to press the ear 16. Depressing the ear 16 causes the two front ends of the feet 7 and 8 to be raised thus permitting the weft, supplied by the specially provided selector before the weft-carrier, freely to enter beneath the feet 7 and 8, being eventually arrested against the ends of the slots 5 and 6.

At this stage a specially provided cutter placed on the left side of the template cuts the weft end which was attached to the fabric.

Simultaneously, the ear 16 passes from beneath the slide 20 and, due to the force of the springs 12 and 13, the two forward ends of the feet are depressed against bosses 9 and 10, thus clamping the weft, which due to a slight tension exerted by a tension device 50 (FIG. 7) upstream of the weft carrier will be held taut between the two feet.

Near the front end of the left foot 7 a small helical spring 21 is mounted, which follows the curved outline of the foot, and extends below the gripping surface on boss 9. Said spring acts so that the weft, when clamped beneath the feet, is positioned, rather than straight between the two feet, slightly inclined due to the effect of the tension of the spring as shown at W in FIG. 5. Thus, the weft will be enabled to be lifted when, at the exchange in the central portion of the loom, the ear of the traction weft carrier 22 will have to lift the weft for passing behind it and then drawing it out of the warp.

The traction weft-carrier 22 is formed by a rigid portion which constitutes a hooking device having a projecting member 37 intended to lift the warp threads during the input and output stages so as to prevent the warp threads from being hooked up by the hook of the traction weft-carrier.

The rigid portion of the weft-carrier 22 is formed by a fixed and a movable part.

The fixed portion forms a rigid support 23 while the movable one forms the movable wing 24.

The rigid supporting member 23 is secured by pins 25 to the member 37, which is connected to and reciprocated by a conveyor belt. The support 23 consists of a body having a vertical wall in the rear area where the spacers 25 are positioned. At the center of the body are formed two, spaced, perforated hubs 26 which form the pivotal point of the movable wing 24.

On the front end of the support 23, and arranged on a horizontal plane, there is a portion 27 which is stiffened by two ribs 28, wherein a slot 29 is formed. The front end of the support 23, 'which is formed by the portion 27, is partially pointed and rad-iused. The movable wing 24 is pivoted on support 23 by the pin 30, and consists of a blade arranged vertically with respect to support 23, and carrying at its front end the gripping hook 31 whose lower portion enters the slot 29, whereas the upper portion, which forms the gripping member, projects therefrom and rests at the two sides of slot 29 on the upper plane of the portion 27 thus providing the weft-locking points.

On the right side of the hook 31 a curved ear 39 is then formed (see detail in FIG. 11) which rests on the horizontal port-ion 27 to fall along the vertical wall of the outer area of the rigid member and is a point of downward reaction for the hook 31, as determined by the slight pressure of the weft thread which during drawing is hooked on said ear.

The rear portion of the movable wing 24, which is immediately behind the axis of pin 30, is formed by a sled 32 on whose lower portion a leaf spring 33 is affixed. This spring rests on the pin 34 to give the pressure to the gripping hook 31.

The pressure of said spring 33 is adjustable by the instrumentality of the screw 35.

The pincers or weft-carriers in their movement are brought to the center of the loom wherein, meeting the guiding carrier 1, the hook 31, after overtaking the weft held by the two feet 7 and 8, disengages it therefrom and hooks said weft up.

The pressure imparted by the two feet 7 and 8 on the weft thread acts in such a way that the latter is inserted under the hook 31 overcoming the force of the spring 33 imparted to said hook. A stable hooking-up will thus be obtained. The weft will thus be drawn down to the end of the fabric, when the carrier 22 is retracted. At this stage the sled 32 passes beneath the slide 36 (FIG. 10) affixed to the sley of the loom which presses it downwards, thus lifting the hook 31 and freeing the weft end.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A device for inserting weft yarns into the warp shed of a continuous feed loom of the type wherein each weft yarn is drawn from a stationary bobbin at one side of the loom, and through the warp shed, by two weft carriers which advance from opposite sides of the loom to the center of the shed, comprising a first carrier having gripping members thereon in its forward end for clamping a weft yarn, to draw the yarn into the center of the shed from said one side of the loom upon movement of said carrier toward said center,

a second carrier having clamping units thereon, to take said weft yarn from said first carrier at the center of the shed and to draw said weft yarn through the remainder of said shed to the opposite side of said loom,

said first carrier being generally rectangular in cross section adjacent said forward end thereof, and having therein a pair of slots separating the upper wall from the sidewalls of said forward end,

said sidewalls terminating at points at their forward ends, and having upper edges which curve upwardly and rearwardly from said points to extend above the forward end of said upper wall, and

one of said sidewalls extending slightly forwardly beyond the other of said sidewalls.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein rearwardly of their upwardly curving portions said upper edges of said sidewalls have downwardly curving portions, which register with one another, and which are spaced beneath the marginal side edges of said upper wall thereby to define said slots, which are operative to guide a weft yarn beneath the forward end of said upper wall.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said gripping members comprise a pair of weft gripping feet which are movably mounted in said first carrier adjacent said forward end thereof, and

a pair of bosses which are formed on the insides of said sidewalls adjacent the rear ends of said slots, and which project into the space between said sidewalls for engagement by said feet to clamp a weft yarn between said feet and bosses.

4. A device according to claim 3 including a second boss formed on the outside of each of said sidewalls adjacent said rear ends of said slots, each of said second remainder of said shed to the opposite said of said bosses having a rounded profile for preventing damage to loom, a weft yarn contacted thereby. said second carrier comprising a pair of spaced,

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein parallel, rigid members having pointed forward ends said two gripping feet are mounted in said first carrier 5 facing in the direction of said first carrier, one of to pivot about a common axis located above and said pointed ends extending beyond the other of said rearwa'rdly of said pair of bosses, and ends in the direction of said shed to separate warp a spring engages said gripping feet and urges them threads during the insertion of said second carrier resiliently into engagement with said bosses. into said shed, 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein 10 the other of said rigid members having in its forward one of said feetis longer than the other, and end a slot, said one foot and said one sidewall are located adjacent a weft clamp ivoted at its rear end on said other th Same sid f aid first Carri rmember rearwardly of said slot, and having a pro- 7. A device according to claim 5, including jection on its forward end removably disposed in an actuating member in said first carrier operable to aid l t, d

P Said feet out of engagement with Said b08865, resilient means urging said clamp about its pivotal Said mem er xt nding t th eXteriOr 0f Said s axis in a direction to resist movement of said procarrier for operation by a second member located j ti t of aid lot. at th BXt Ii f i first caffief- 10. A device according to claim 9, including means for 8- A deViCe according to (312111313, Wherein adjusting said resilient means thereby to adjust the force said slots register at their rear ends with said bosses hi h r i t movement of id lamp,

to guide a weft yarn into a clamping position in 'which it extends between said bosses, and References Cited means betlwein saild sidegvalls gnagaageatle gitllirolaz1 wefg UNITED STATES PATENTS wic rscame onsr osss, sar 53$ inclined to SideWaHs 1,515,102 11/1924 Gabler 139-127 9, A device for inserting weft yarns into the warp shed 2,072,161 3/1937 Dewas 139 127 of a continuous feed loom of the type wherein each weft 221162620 5/1938 Dewas 139 '127 y n i drawn from a stationary bobbin at one side of the 2,192,728 3/1940 Dev/as 132-123 loom, and through the warp shed, by two weft carriers 216041124 7/1952 Budzyna et 13127 hi h advance from Opposite sides of the loom to the 2,705,508 4/1955 Fla'mand 139 '122 center of the shed, comprising 2,813,538 11/1957 Dewas 139' 123 a first carrier having gripping members thereon in its 228681233 1/1959 DEWaS 139*123 f wa d e d for clam ing a weft yarn, to draw the 2923325 2/1960 Dewas 139-123 yarn into the center of the shed from said one side 31137321 6/1964 139" 122 of th m upon movement of said carrier toward 3,159,186 12/1964 Julnam 139 127 said center, a second carried having clamping units thereon, to take MERVIN STEIN Exammer' said weft yarn from said first carrier at the center I. KEE CHI, Examiner. of the shed and to draw said weft yarn through the 0 

